As demonstrated by recent elections, problems arising from difficulties in counting votes and inaccuracies in reading ballots can disrupt elections and even delay determination of the election results. During an election, in many polling places a voter submits his or her vote to be read by an optical scanner. Ballots are stored until polls close when votes are counted and the results of the counts are certified and announced to the public. The ballot counting process usually consists of counting votes in voting regions such as counties and then submitting the results of those regional counts to a central counting authority that totals submitted counts to determine the outcome of the election.
Vote counting and calculation of statistical results are frequently performed by processes that are at least in part manual processes and require thousands of man-hours. In elections where results are determined for counties, it may take two or more hours for a county to count votes. A common source of delay and inaccuracy in vote counting as well as spoliation of ballots is that the election authorities often depend upon the election judges to identify and report voting irregularities, ballot difficulties and voting equipment problems. Frequently, voting problems are not identified during voting, but are identified during vote counting and result certification after any remedial action or additional assistance can limit the number of ballots that are affected by the problem.
Frequently, the time required to count votes delays notification of candidates and the public of the election results, often until into the early morning of the next day. Another consequence of delayed determining and announcing official results is that estimates and predictions are often reported. Those reports can be inaccurate and stale, and can even influence voters.
A need exists for a system that monitors voting and identifies irregularities and problems with ballots and counting equipment while an election is taking place. In addition, a need exists for a system that can report vote tallies quickly and accurately as an election is conducted.